Cinema にほんご

Cinema にほんご - Midnight Noir / Episode 04

N5 Lesson 04 · Midnight Noir にほんご / Series 1 · みんなの日本語 第 4 課

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Episode 04: TIME

4:05. Five minutes left. In the dim light of the operations room, Mike checks his watch. The seconds tick. Every minute matters now.

いま 4時じji5分ふんfunです。

He runs through the schedule one more time. His own — the rare day off — and the target’s lunch break.

休やすyasuみは 水曜日すいようびsuiyōbiです。

昼休みひるやすみhiruyasumiは 12時じjiから 1時じjiまでです。

The plan is clear. The window is short. He takes one deep breath.

行いiきます！

→ Read the related chapter (Chapter 2: Schedules and Hidden Truths)
Available in 日本語 / English / 中文 / 繁體中文 / Tiếng Việt

Key Sentences

1. Time

いま 4時じji5分ふんfunです。

  • It’s 4:05 now.
  • 现在 4 点 5 分。 / 現在 4 點 5 分。
  • Bây giờ là 4 giờ 5 phút.

2. Day off

休やすyasuみは 水曜日すいようびsuiyōbiです。

  • The day off is Wednesday.
  • 休息日是星期三。 / 休息日是星期三。
  • Ngày nghỉ là thứ Tư.

3. From-To (Range)

昼休みひるやすみhiruyasumiは 12時じjiから 1時じjiまでです。

  • The lunch break is from 12 to 1.
  • 午休是从 12 点到 1 点。 / 午休是從 12 點到 1 點。
  • Giờ nghỉ trưa từ 12 giờ đến 1 giờ.

4. Going (Decisive Action)

行いiきます！

  • I’m going! / I’m on it!
  • 我去！/ 我去！
  • Tôi đi!

行いiきます is the polite form of 行いiく (to go). With 「！」, it carries determination — “Here I go!”

Vocabulary

日本語English简体繁體Tiếng Việt
いまnow现在現在bây giờ
〜時じjio’clock〜点〜點〜giờ
〜分ふんfunminute〜分〜分〜phút
〜よう日びbiday of the week星期〜星期〜thứ 〜
水曜日すいようびsuiyōbiWednesday星期三星期三thứ Tư
休やすyasuみday off, break休息休息nghỉ
昼休みひるやすみhiruyasumilunch break午休午休nghỉ trưa
〜からfrom从從từ
〜までuntil, to到到đến
行いiきますgo (polite)去去đi

Grammar Patterns

N時じji N分ふんfunです。

Time expression. N時 = hour, N分 = minute.

N1 から N2 まで

From N1 to N2. Used for time, place, range.

Nは Nよう日びbiです。

N is [day of the week].

「N時じji」 = hour counter (1時じji, 2時じji, 3時じji…)
「N分ふんfun」 = minute counter (5分ふんfun, 10分ふんfun, 15分ふんfun…)
「〜から」 = from (start point)
「〜まで」 = until / to (end point)
「〜よう日びbi」 = day of the week (月げつgetsu/火かka/水すいsui/木もくmoku/金きんkin/土どdo/日にちnichi)

Grammar Picture

Time: N 時 N 分 です。 hour counter minute counter copula Range: N1 から N2 まで start from end until Day: N は N曜日 です。 topic は day of week copula Legend: noun / number particle counter (時/分) copula (です)

Need more detail? Open the sections below.

About N時じji (hour) — irregular readings

Add 時 after a number to express the hour. Some numbers have irregular pronunciations:

  • 1時じji = いちじ (ichiji)
  • 4時じji = よじ (yoji) — NOT よんじ
  • 7時じji = しちじ (shichiji) — NOT ななじ
  • 9時じji = くじ (kuji) — NOT きゅうじ
  • Others: 2じ, 3じ, 5じ, 6じ, 8じ, 10じ, 11じ, 12じ
About N分ふんfun (minute) — ふん / ぷん

Add 分 after a number. Pronunciation changes between ふん and ぷん:

  • 1分ふんfun = いっぷん (ippun)
  • 3分ふんfun = さんぷん (sanpun)
  • 5分ふんfun = ごふん (gofun)
  • 10分ふんfun = じっぷん / じゅっぷん (jippun / juppun)
  • 30分ふんfun = also written as はん (han, = half)
About 〜から 〜まで (range)

「から」 = from, 「まで」 = until. Works for time, place, and other ranges.

  • 9時じjiから 5時じjiまで — from 9 to 5 (work hours)
  • 東京とうきょうTōkyōから 大阪おおさかŌsakaまで — from Tokyo to Osaka
  • 月げつgetsuよう日びbiから 金きんkinよう日びbiまで — from Monday to Friday
About 〜よう日びbi (day of the week)

The seven days share the suffix 「よう日びbi」. The kanji before it indicates a celestial body / element (sun, moon, fire, water, wood, gold, earth — from ancient East Asian cosmology).

  • 月げつgetsuよう日びbi — Monday (moon)
  • 火かkaよう日びbi — Tuesday (fire)
  • 水曜日すいようびsuiyōbi — Wednesday (water)
  • 木もくmokuよう日びbi — Thursday (wood)
  • 金きんkinよう日びbi — Friday (gold)
  • 土どdoよう日びbi — Saturday (earth)
  • 日にちnichiよう日びbi — Sunday (sun)

Many languages share this 7-day system — each with its own cultural memory.

Roleplay Practice

Try this dialog with a partner (or aloud, switching roles).

Scene: 4:05 AM. Operations room. Mike is on comms with HQ before the mission.

HQ: ミラーさん、 いま 何なんnan時じjiですか。
(Miller, what time is it now?)

Mike: いま 4時じji5分ふんfunです。
(It’s 4:05 now.)

HQ: ターゲットの 休やすyasuみは いつですか。
(When is the target’s day off?)

Mike: 休やすyasuみは 水曜日すいようびsuiyōbiです。
(The day off is Wednesday.)

HQ: 昼休みひるやすみhiruyasumiは 何なんnan時じjiから 何なんnan時じjiまでですか。
(What time is the lunch break, from when to when?)

Mike: 12時じjiから 1時じjiまでです。
(From 12 to 1.)

HQ: わかりました。 ミッション、 スタート。
(Understood. Mission, start.)

Mike: 行いiきます！
(I’m going!)

Tip: After the first pass, switch roles. Then replace 「水曜日すいようびsuiyōbi」 with your own day off, or 「12から1」 with your real schedule.

How do you say this in Japanese?

Type any word or sentence in your language. We’ll send it to Google Translate.

Powered by Google Translate.

Generate Your Own Image

Need a picture for your schedule? Type a prompt, then open Bing Image Creator.

Free with Microsoft account. Uses MAI-Image-1.

Prompt tips

For consistent anime-style images:

A warm and friendly Japanese anime-style illustration of [your subject]

Examples: a wall clock at 4:05, a busy office at lunch break, a calendar with Wednesday highlighted

How to Use This Lesson

For Self-Study (45 minutes)

  1. Watch the video (5 min, coming soon) — Episode 04 to feel the urgency.
  2. Read Grammar Patterns (5 min) — Understand time, range, days.
  3. Practice Key Sentences (10 min) — Say each sentence out loud, 3 times.
  4. Learn Vocabulary (5 min) — Memorize the 10 words.
  5. Read Mini Story (5 min) — Connect grammar to context.
  6. Roleplay Practice (10 min) — Apply with both roles, then your own schedule.
  7. Review tomorrow — Repeat steps 3 and 6.
Check Yourself (click to expand)

Test your understanding. Try to answer first, then check.

Q1. How do you say ‘It’s 4:05 now’ in Japanese?
  • A. いま 5時じji 4分ふんfunです。
  • B. いま 4時じji 5分ふんfunです。
  • C. いま 4分ふんfun 5時じjiです。
Show answer

✓ B. いま 4時じji 5分ふんfunです。

Pattern: いま [hour]時じji [minute]分ふんfunです。 Hour first, then minutes.

Q2. How do you say ‘from 12 to 1’?
  • A. 12 まで 1 から
  • B. 12 から 1 まで
  • C. 12 と 1 です
Show answer

✓ B. 12 から 1 まで

「から」 = from, 「まで」 = until.

Q3. How do you say ‘My day off is Wednesday’?
  • A. 水曜日すいようびsuiyōbiは 休やすyasuみです。
  • B. 休やすyasuみが 水曜日すいようびsuiyōbiです。
  • C. 休やすyasuみは 水曜日すいようびsuiyōbiです。
Show answer

✓ C. 休やすyasuみは 水曜日すいようびsuiyōbiです。

Topic + は + day.

Q4. In the Mini Story, why does Mike say 「行いiきます！」?
  • A. He is going home.
  • B. He is ready to start the operation.
  • C. He is going to lunch.
Show answer

✓ B. 行いiきます！ = decisive action.

Q5. Write YOUR schedule in Japanese.

No right answer. Express your real schedule.

Show answer

Sample answers:

  • 休やすyasuみは 日にちnichiよう日びbiです。
  • 9時じjiから 5時じjiまで 働はたらhataraきます。

Share yours with @cinemanihongo · #CinemaNihongo

For Teachers (click to expand)

For Teachers (45-60 minutes in class)

  • Warm-up (5 min): Ask “What time is it now?” in the target language.
  • Story reading (10 min): Read Mini Story together. Discuss “Why 5 minutes?”
  • Time drill (10 min): Practice telling time in pairs.
  • Roleplay (15 min): In pairs, the dialog above. Switch roles. Then substitute with their own real schedule.
  • Schedule sharing (10 min): Each student shares with the group.
  • Check Yourself review (5 min): Group review of the quiz.

Kanji in this Lesson (Preview)

These kanji appear in the Mini Story above. You’ll formally learn them in later lessons — for now, just notice their shapes.

漢字音訓MeaningJLPTFormal intro
時ジときtime, hourN5formally in L8
分フン、ブンわ（かる）minute, partN5formally in L8
休キュウやす（む）restN5formally in L8
水スイみずwater, WednesdayN5formally in L5
曜ヨウ—day of the weekN4formally in L20
日ニチひsun, day, SundayN5formally in L5
昼—ひるdaytime, noonN5formally in L8
行コウい（く）、おこな（う）go, doN5formally in L9
月ゲツ、ガツつきmonth, moon, MondayN5formally in L5
火カひfire, TuesdayN5formally in L5
木モクきtree, ThursdayN5formally in L5
金キンかねgold, money, FridayN5formally in L5
土ドつちsoil, SaturdayN5formally in L5

→ See all kanji (N5–N3)

Cinema にほんご still

Speak aloud! Now your turn!

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← Lesson 03 | Midnight Noir Series | Lesson 05 →